Talent Management - December 2008 - (Page 25)

required, and the amount of importance, pressure and autonomy while performing an activity. Behavioral interviews, in which past behaviors are discussed as a way to predict future behaviors, have proven effective in assessing self-motivation. There are three key questions that can help identify self-motivation during the interview: 1. Describe a situation at your previous job in which you had to do something you were not enthusiastic about. How did you handle it? This question helps identify what kind of strategies an individual uses when facing situations in which there is no external motivator. In general, people who can motivate themselves will ﬁnd a rewarding alternative within a non-rewarding scenario, regardless of what the environment or situation is offering. 2. Describe a job-related situation in which there was some ambiguity in instructions or guidance. How did you approach it? Look for how the individual gathers — or does not gather — additional information. Does he or she take the initiative to seek clariﬁcation? Does he or she take an active or passive role? 3. If you have had a performance evaluation, what did you do with that feedback? People who are self-motivated look for performance feedback, identify realistic goals for improvement and seek out resources to reach those goals. These individuals will not wait for things to be right, but will look for ways to make things right. It would be ideal if all organizations were able to attract employees who do not need external motivations and simply work for the joy of it. But in reality, organizations are built with different talents, different needs and different perceptions of what constitutes a motivating place to work. This diverse workforce also is shifting as new generations enter the workplace. The next challenge is how to keep that diverse and changing workforce motivated. Motivate a Changing Workforce According to common estimates, the ﬁrst wave of baby boomers will start retiring in 2011. During this same period, about 49 million college graduates will begin entering the labor force. Analysis of the generational makeup of the current workforce reveals that, besides baby boomers, it is composed of employees from Gener- ation X — born 1965-1981 — and Generation Y — born 1982-1996. These trends leave managers with the challenge of leading a diverse workforce, one with widely different needs and wants. An effective manager will ﬁnd ways to retain and motivate different generations. Baby Boomers There are many stereotypes about the characteristics of older workers. Fortunately, human resource experts are using evidence-based research to formally identify characteristics of different generations in the workforce, providing some insight into how to motivate and retain different generations in our organizations. Experts recommend that talent managers: • Provide opportunities for training and development. When older workers are asked what their top priority at work is, they report trying new things is at the top of their lists. • Include opportunities for promotions. Performance evaluations of baby boomers and other generations show no signiﬁcant differences in productivity between these groups. Some research indicates that productivity increases with age. This data supports the recommendation that opportunities for promotion should be made available to older workers. • Design mentoring opportunities. One natural consequence of the maturing babyboomer generation is that many will leave the workforce, taking with them a wealth of knowledge. A manager who knows how to leverage this will be able to identify mentoring opportunities in which an older, more experienced employee can be matched with a newer, younger employee. Such mentoring relationships will help keep baby boomers motivated and keep the professional knowledge in the organization. Generation X While it is important to provide growth opportunities for an aging workforce, it is of equal importance to cultivate a positive organizational environment that attracts other generations. Here are some of the characteristics of Generation X and what motivates them: • The need to meet basic necessities for living. December 2008 Workers born in this generation are at a building stage of their lives. Studies have found younger talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com 25 http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - December 2008

Talent Management - December 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Foundations Recruitment & Retention Assessment & Evaluation Compensation & Benefits Performance Management Learning & Development Succession Planning Insight Dashboard Application Advertiser's Index Editorial Resources Full Potential

Talent Management - December 2008

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